


His Daughter

by Elizabeth234



Series: Whumptober 2020 [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Adult Peter Parker, Dad Peter Parker, Estranged Relationship, Father Peter Parker, Gen, Irondad, Mending Relationships, Peter asks for help, mentions of fire
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:27:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27153832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elizabeth234/pseuds/Elizabeth234
Summary: When a fire burns away all their hope Peter and his daughter ask the only person he can think of for help.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: Whumptober 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1950433
Comments: 14
Kudos: 89
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	1. His Daughter

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all! Had the rough draft for this one for so long and finally happy I finished. This is for day fourteen of whumptober: Fire! Thanks for reading.

He didn’t know why the number came to mind or how after so many years he still had it memorized. The stranger’s phone dangled in front of him, their eyes flat with no room for argument, and with no other options available he typed in the ten digits without thinking. Of course, now the phone was ringing all he wanted to do was hang up. 

“It’s Tony, what’s up?”

Absurd. This was how he answered his phone from an unknown number? His voice was low and even; so casual like he was greeting an old friend. His chest throbbed and he rubbed it before answering. He cringed at how he sounded like his teenage self. 

“Mr.- Mr. Stark?” 

The line went silent. He rubbed his chest again. The man wouldn’t remember his one-time mentee and their short-lived acquaintanceship. Unwanted memories of long afternoons in the lab, sitting side by side working on homework or ‘company bullshit’ as he would call it. Their totality was painfully short but Peter could remember ever last time Mr. Stark greeted him with a smile and drove him home with a wink to May. 

All of it was cut short by the ferry incident. The taste of bitter shame was still palatable years later and then like he couldn’t catch a break the fight with Toomes happened. Peter ended in the med bay afterward. Days went by and he didn’t see anyone besides the nurses and doctors. They told him Mr. Stark came to visit but he was always asleep. In time he healed and was sent home. It hadn’t even been a week and the email arrived. He was no longer in the internship program. The program Mr. Stark made up as cover for his Spiderman activities. The program that officially didn’t exist and he was fired. 

Peter spent the next weeks locked in his room. His phone stayed silent no matter how much time he stared at it. May tried to talk to him but he wouldn’t respond. He tried to call Happy and Mr. Stark too many times to count but there was no answer. There would never be an answer until now. 

Life for Spiderman moved on. His web slinging and crime fighting were no match for the small deeds and neighborhoods disputes. He could handle those himself even if it lacked the spark the patrols usually had. No, it was Peter’s life that crumbled. Late at night when all the doubts began creeping in, he thought how pathetic it was he’d grown so attached to the first father figure who came into his life. It did make sense that figure was someone resistant to the role in Peter’s life. 

The consequences bleed into his regular life. He began acting out. May, too kind and compassionate, was there for him through all the slamming doors, backtalk, and lying. She was called franticly when he didn’t come home and was waiting with a blanket when he came home smelling of booze. Even when he dropped out of college, the car loaded with his clothes and news of a child, May smiled and hugged him as he began crying. 

She was gone now. Their apartment building was in ashes. Peter was alone. 

He swallowed and almost hung up but a small hand tugged on his sleeve. He looked down to see a beautiful mess of curly hair. His daughter all bright brown eyes and smiles even given these circumstances smiled up at him. 

Raya. 

There wasn’t any other way. The two of them had no one else and although this was a long shot, Peter had to try, for her. He cleared his throat again and began louder. 

“Mr. Stark, this is Peter Parker. I’m, ah…”

“Kid.” The man said in a breathy voice. “Peter, I could never forget you.”

Heat stirred in his chest at the lie. Hadn’t the man already forgotten him before? There was a sour taste in his mouth as accusations rested on the tip of his tongue but Raya climbed onto his lap and snuggled into his chest. With his free hand he brushed back her bangs and rubbed her back in circles to soothe her as much as him. 

“Mr. Stark, I-”

“Please, it always been just Tony.” 

He was old enough now he supposed. They could be on equal ground now that he was an adult. The name was weird to say but Peter forced himself to say it. 

“Alright, Tony then. I have a favor to ask. We’ve been stuck with a bit of bad luck. There was a fire…”

“Anything you need. Anything at all, Peter, I would be happy to help.”

“It’s only until we get back on our feet and I promise we’ll pay you back.”

Tony insisted there wasn’t any need for repayment. He had too much money as it was, he said, but Peter couldn’t help the nagging in the back of his mind. No matter what had happened he didn’t want to be a burden on anyone. Still, there was no use arguing for the time being. Tony was far too stubborn, that Peter remembered well, and in this case, he wasn’t in a position to repay anything so Peter gave the address of the hospital. They went to wait outside. 

Raya’s legs swung back and forth on the bench beside him. She wiped a sleeve across her nose, sniffling into the material. The doctor’s said these small side effects of smoke inhalation would go away in time but he couldn’t help the worry he felt. She was still young and although there were no outward signs of trauma from the fire, he knew with time she would begin to focus on what happened. Peter held out his hand and smiled when she squeezed her fingers back. 

The fingers on his watch spun on. Mr. Stark – No, Tony – had said he would have someone swing by in…now. A door closed and Peter’s throat closed up. The man did nothing in half measures back in the day and it appeared the trait was still present. He didn’t have just anyone come to pick them up. Tony himself stepped out of the car and was walking over to them.

Peter stood up and brushed down the wrinkles in his shirt. They were a stranger’s clothes and although the shirt was too long and the jacket a bit tight through the shoulders, he was thankful someone in the hospital thought about it. Tony looked much the same. Nice jeans, graphic band tee, and a blazer that was tailored perfectly. 

The man hesitated at the hand Peter offered. Some expression passed over his features too quick for Peter to interpret but then his hand enveloped his and they shook. 

“Tony, I can’t thank you enough for the help.”

“Nothing to thank me for Peter. It’s good to see you, kid.”

“Dad’s not a kid. I am!”

He held his breath. It wasn’t on purpose that he left the addition of his daughter out of their phone call but, well, he didn’t think Tony was a man inclined to like children. So, if the detail of Raya slipped his mind during his request for help, Peter didn’t care. All he cared about was Raya who, at the moment, was holding onto his leg from behind. She peeked around him to glare at Tony. 

“It’s a nickname, sweetheart. Come say hi to Mr. Stark.” He put a hand on her shoulder and guided her around his legs so her heels were stepping on the tips of his shoes. He winced at a particularly hard step as she fidgeted. 

Her head was bowed and Peter could see her twisting the sleeves of her shirt in her palms. She sniffled again. Tony’s eyes remained on her unblinking as his mouth gaped open. No wonder she was nervous. Peter was about to break the tension when Tony cleared his throat. All the emotions on his face hidden away behind a smile. He hiked up his pants by the knees and squatted down so he was Raya’s height before sticking his hand out. 

“Hello there. I’m Tony Stark, an old friend of your fathers. May I ask what your name is?” 

She leaned back into Peter and he squeezed her shoulders hoping she would be polite. With caution, as if she was measuring Tony’s sincerity, she brought her hand up and his old mentor and daughter shook hands. Tony like everyone else who met Raya couldn’t help but smile at her. 

“I’m Raya and I’m seven years old. Dad never mentioned you before but he does that sometimes. I love forests though. Are we staying by a forest? One of my favorite type of tree is a Quaking Aspen or Populous Trembly…”She trailed off and scrunched up her nose. Her head fell backward trying to look at Peter. 

“It’s pronounced Populus tremuloides.”

“Yeah, that!” She said and looked back to Tony for his response. 

The man rocked back on his heels but stayed low. Peter couldn’t help but feel like this was important. He wanted Raya to like Tony and vice versa. It wouldn’t do to dwell on why yet, though. 

“Not everyone shares your love for trees, Raya.”

“Actually, mine is the Abies Balsamea or Balsam fir. It grows around the cabin I own upstate.”

Raya glowed at his statement. He knew that anyone who respected her love of trees was alright in her book, but someone who knew them and their names. Well, Tony just earned a friend for life. She stepped off of Peter’s feet and toward the man crouching down. 

“I like those too.” She said fidgeting with her sleeves again. 

“Maybe you can visit one day and see them in person.” 

Peter clenched his fists but nodded at the hopeful look his daughter gave him. He didn’t want to get her hopes up but he couldn’t stand for her to be upset so soon. Yes, he wanted them to like each other but he also had to keep what happened in mind. If she grew attached and Tony left again he wasn’t sure if he could take it; if they both could survive another person leaving them. He shook his head knowing he was getting ahead of himself. Raya sniffled, coughing into her hands. Peter pulled out the hand sanitizer and sprayed her hands as Tony stood up. 

“Shall we go?” 

Raya turned and buried her head against Peter’s thigh for a moment. Tony stretched out his legs in front of them. As soon as he was done his little girl stepped onto the curb and grabbed Tony’s hand. Peter got the bag they had from the hospital and watched from under his lashes as Raya began lecturing Tony about all the different trees they might see on the way to Tony’s cabin. The man helped her up into the car, making sure her legs could reach the step, and she curled up in the backseat like she owned the vehicle. 

-

Raya fell asleep to the sound of the engine, leaving Tony and Peter alone. 

There were so many things he could say that nothing came to mind. Spiteful words floated around in his skull but he wouldn’t act on them. Maybe it was best to continue the silence. 

He had thought he was past the blazing red emotions, that they were left behind in his teenage years, but it turned out some remained, hibernating until such a reunion arrived. He stretched his legs out. 

“A kid, huh?” Tony said without looking away from the road. “I must be getting old.”

Peter shrugged and crossed his legs before uncrossing them again. Tony sighed but he didn’t care. He was acting like Raya did when he sent told her it was bedtime, but he didn’t care. Or maybe it was he cared too much. He startled back when he felt a hand touch his arm.

“Kid, I think we need to talk, but whatever we say I am here to help you through this, whether you want me there or not.” 

Peter crossed his legs. He stared at Tony. His sunglasses didn’t hide the wrinkles around his eyes anymore and the grey hairs were much more prominent than before. Time affected them both. Peter knew he needed to let go of these lingering resentments, his fear of rejection. 

He and Hannah had tried to teach Raya how to navigate her feelings and what to do with them afterward. First to identify them, if you could, and then figuring out how you wanted to act in a certain situation. Feelings were sticky and sometimes burdensome, leading you astray, but sometimes they were beautiful in their pain or elation. Whatever the feelings were, they told Raya, they were hers and were always valid. 

It was time he took those lessons to heart. His heart clenched from the pressure but he began to untangle the mess of emotions he’d carried around for so many years. They would need to talk but he would be ready. Honesty began with oneself and he would try from there. Peter turned to look back at his sleeping daughter before nodding at Tony.


	2. There's a Light in the Hallway

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all. This fills whumptober prompt 24: You're not making any sense and a bit of sensory deprivation thrown in there. This is second chapter of the His Daughter story. Enjoy!

The tablet that was too large for her hands lit up Raya’s face. Her eyes narrowed in concentration as she tried to read through the words. Peter watched as she talked to Tony. The smile never left her face as the stranger turned acquaintance listened with perfect ease. 

“It says here the Fir is a… what’s this word Daddy?”

“Symbol.”

“Yeah, it’s truth and forthrightness, which I’m not sure exactly what it means but I think it’s good. And it can mean friendship, Mr. Stark! I think that means we’re going to be friends.”

She hopped onto her knees bouncing at an alarming rate toward Tony. His eyes widened and Peter fought back a smile. The enthusiasms of youth were quick but substantial. Raya was no exception. Her openness and love never failed to make him proud as not only a dad but a person. 

“I, uh, think so too, kiddo.” Raya leaned back and scrunched her nose apparently offended at the moniker. 

“You call my Daddy that. I want a different nickname.”

This time Tony leaned forward with a playful smile. He brought his finger up and tapped his chin in thought. Raya sat up straighter when she noticed him looking toward her.

“Oh, you do, do you? How about snowflake?”

“NO!”

“Sugarplum?”

“Ew…”

“Gumdrop?”

“No foods!” She burst out giggling complete with hands on knees and tears in her eyes. Like something contagious Tony’s eyes caught the sparkle and gleamed at her laughter. 

“How about Ray?” He said after clearing his throat. 

Peter looked back down to his phone but waited for an answer without breathing. Raya leaned back into the seat and folded her hands in her lap before watching Tony with a secret deliberation. Her eyes seemed to take in some quality of him and test deep qualification in him, otherwise it was mere whimsy. After a measured moment Raya reached out her hand and waited for them to shake. 

“That would be fine.” She said and wouldn’t let go of his hand after they were done. Raya grabbed Tony’s hand more fully in hers and began playing with his palm. Her eyes traveled over the lines and scars on his hand, and her finger took the place soon after. 

“It’s the name my mommy called me.” She said in a matter of fact tone. Tony’s mouth opened along with his eyes and he froze. His eyes focused entirely on Raya, how she stared earnest at him and the way her legs swung back and forth. Finally, he swallowed, ran a hand through his hair, and reached some conclusion.

“What was her name?”

“Hannah.”

“And are you sure I can call you Ray?”

“I don’t think she would mind. Do you dad?”

She shrugged as she answered. Peter was surprised to find that hopeful look she would sometimes get when she was wheedling him into doing something. The little twitch in her mouth and the wide-eyed expression were enough to give her away. He responded with a tight grin. If that was what she wanted, it was nothing he would oppose. The decision was surprising is all. Nobody called her Ray since Hannah left. His daughter was nothing but protective over the nickname given to her so it meant something when a shy, smile crossed her face when Tony called her Ray again. He ignored the quick pain in his chest and smiled at them. 

Raya’s sniffles erupted into another cough. Her lungs rattled and Tony rushed to grab water for her. She shuddered against an unseen chill and curled into Tony’s side burrowing into the man’s jacket. 

“I don’t feel so good.”

Peter no longer pretended not to be watching them. He leaned forward to observe his daughter and cursed the damned fire and everything that could hurt her. The doctor had warned of lingering damage from the smoke. Were these symptoms? Tony raised a hand and pressed it into her forehead once he loosened up at her searching for comfort from him. 

“She has a slight fever.” He said before pulling out his phone. “I’ll call Helen and see if she can come tonight.”

“It’s all my fault she still has a cough. I tried to get us out of there quickly, but it wasn’t fast enough.” 

Peter wound his arms around his sides and hunched his back over slightly. Peter had never felt so panicked when they’d been separated at first in the hospital only to feel the strongest rush of relief at seeing her tucked away, too small in the hospital bed. She was so brave in the face of all the tests and doctors. Her smile never dimmed even when she had to have a shot. It was startling to see her smile replaced by a tired frown. Raya shivered and Tony threw a blanket over her. 

He reached out toward Peter. His hand hovered above his shoulder and for a moment Peter didn’t care if Tony had left him all those years ago. He needed reassurance and someone to tell him it was all going to be okay. Tony retracted his hand before he touched Peter’s shoulder and instead brushed a hair out of Raya’s face. 

“She’ll be okay, Peter. You did a good job.”

Maybe Peter had some lingering affects himself because he rubbed his chest trying to sooth the tightness there. 

-

He returned to find Tony sitting on the couch facing the window overlooking the city. Peter had tucked Raya into a bed in one of the many spare bedrooms after taking pity on Tony when she fell asleep against his side. He had stood in the hallway gazing into her room, not procrastinating he told himself, until she fell asleep in the large bed. Peter closed the door was quiet as he could and stood at the end of the hall looking down to the living room where Tony was waiting. 

They needed to talk. Peter wanted them to but he couldn’t help all the insecurities creeping up. Strange how easy it was to slip back into old mindsets. He’d thought being a dad would shake all those old doubts but they were there, lingering until they were louder than ever. He shivered. The light at the end of the hallway urged him forward. He wanted to get this over with. 

Peter sat down at the other end of the couch and tried to admire the view. He was painfully aware of the man how had brushed Raya’s hair out of her face so gently. The silence eclipsed the beauty of the view. It was palpable between them and despite being the used to silence, Peter tore through it. His voice cracked but he turned to face Tony. 

“Why did you go?” 

Tony was hesitant to break his silence and it took many minutes before he sighed and answered. “I did it for your own good, you know.” His words were quiet and meant kindly, but Peter froze. “I found you on the beach and I thought you were dead, Peter. I thought you were gone. The old heart almost went out at the sight. I was going to continue our internship, the mentorship despite how underprepared I was to take care of a child in any capacity. But it was you, kid, and I wanted to try.”

“Then why…” He hated how shaky his voice was. He hated the way his heart was pounding. Tony turned to look at him. It was like all the years were laid out between them. Peter could see the struggle and the loneliness Tony faced. Peter’s stomach turned. 

“I saw the tape from Toomes’s warehouse. I saw everything and your strength. Your strength it scared me… because…”

He was back in the warehouse. Cement walls were falling. The ceiling caved in and he pinned under a mountain of rock. Water trickled down the stones and dripped onto the back of his head. He tried to move but was met with pain at each twitch. Everything pressed down on him. All the disappointment and anger and loss. All he could do was scream against the blood and tears obstructing his vision. He closed his eyes and yelled as loud as he could until his throat was hoarse. His hearing was the only thing left. Its enhanced capabilities completed his cage. He could hear every falling pebble or drip of water. The racing of his heart was so loud it raged in his mind. Peter could hear it all speeding toward him unable to stop; unable to do anything but listen from his confines. He was alone. He was always alone. Peter cried and cried for someone to find him but there was no one. It was up to him to save himself. 

“Stop!” Peter stood up, hands clenched. He tried to shake the remaining dregs of the memory away but they lingered against his skin and in the sour taste in the back of his mouth. 

Tony didn’t get to be afraid of Peter. Not after everything. Was that really the answer? It was Peter who was to blame after all. He should feel proud, he supposed. Peter had succeeded where no one else seemed to before; scaring the great Tony Stark. He almost wanted to laugh, but it all made sense. The way Tony wouldn’t make eye contact with or the way he wouldn’t hug Peter. He could see now he repulsed the man. What he didn’t expect was the sharp pain in his chest that came with the realization. He jumped up and balled his fists together. 

“Oh, I get it now and like some unwanted thing off the street you tossed me back, is that all it was? All I was? Something to waste your time with?” 

“You’re not making any sense.” Tony said standing up too. 

“No, you’re not speaking a damn bit of the truth. Just say it was all for you. Don’t act all high and mighty and say it was for my own good. Don’t lie anymore.”

“Peter, you misunderstood me.” He came to stand beside Peter but Peter brushed off his hand. “I wasn’t scared of you. I was scared for you. When I saw you stuck under there, I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think of anything but how I failed you. But then you lifted it. You saved yourself and I knew then I could never be strong enough for you. I knew I would end up disappointing you like that day after the ferry. So, you’re right, in a way, what I did was for my own sake. I wanted to save myself the embarrassment and hurt when you realized what kind of person I was.”

“I-”

“Daddy?” Raya popped her head around the corner and rubbed her eye to get rid of the sleep. “I heard shouting. Are you yelling at Mr. Stark?”

Peter walked forward, ready to be away from these realizations and the burning in his chest. He scooped up Raya into his arms. Her warm weight reassured him; grounded him to her and he could breathe freely. 

“No sweetheart. We were just discussing some things.” 

He walked down the hall and didn’t look back. Raya struggled in his arms and looked back at the living room they were walking away from. 

“Mom always said it was bad to yell. She said nothing ever got done that way.” He tucked her in and bopped her on the nose. 

“Your mom was right, Raya. But I’ll tell you a secret. Sometimes a good yell makes you feel better after.” Her eyes widened at the thought. “Don’t try it now but sometime you can try it.”

She yawned and Peter placed a kiss on her forehead. He would go back to his room and stay there while he thought and cooled down. He nodded and closed the door with one last look at his daughter sleeping already. 

He turned to the hallway and the man was there. The light from the living room shine down the dark hall but was short of reaching their figures. It wasn’t as cold as before and as it so often does; the darkness loosened their tongues. It allowed for an opening of raw feelings. 

“Peter, I know nothing I can say will change anything but I’m sorry for being everything I hoped I wouldn’t.”

The words weren’t everything. They wouldn’t make up for what happened but it was a start. Tony pulled Peter into a hug. It was years late but the embrace was warm and Peter couldn’t stop the tears from gathering in his eyes. 

People were so blinded to themselves. Peter hadn’t known he had the strength to escape out of the collapsed building. Tony thought he didn’t have the strength to accept and give enough love to those he cared about. But there in that dark hallway, Peter realized the truth. He had seen the way Tony held his daughter and now, feeling the arms around him, he could feel a strength there waiting to be unleashed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it!  
> Chapter title from the Pentatonix song!   
> Let me know what you think.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you! Let me know what you think.


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